Chapter 503: Chapter 522: Hmph, I’m Not Happy

"You must have been bored out of your mind, huh?" Jiang Qiuqiu sent the butler robot to clean up. Carrying the dishes she had made for the evening, she walked into the living room and called Mo Si over to eat. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all. It was all very interesting."

"Haha, go on and eat. I wasn’t sure if you liked sweet things, so I didn’t add too much sugar."

By now, Mo Si had made a habit of saying everything was delicious. No matter what it was, as long as Jiang Qiuqiu brought it to the table, it was delicious!

As they were nearly finished with their meal, Mo Si remembered something and asked Jiang Qiuqiu, "For the New Year’s Eve dinner at the end of this month, are you really making eighteen dishes?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It took you so long to make just three dishes today..." If she were making eighteen dishes, wouldn’t that consume a huge amount of energy?

"Today was because the portions were larger, and I wasn’t using my time efficiently because I was also filming a tutorial." Jiang Qiuqiu could tell that Mo Si was concerned about her. "On New Year’s Eve, I’ll just be cooking. I probably won’t be talking much, so it will go by much faster."

’But no matter how fast she is, she’ll still get tired.’

"Don’t worry about it. Making eighteen dishes is no big deal for me."

The topic of the New Year’s Eve dinner inevitably led to the topic of New Year’s Eve itself.

"Will you be spending New Year’s Eve here by yourself?"

"Yep." ’Mo Si is asking a lot of questions with obvious answers today,’ Jiang Qiuqiu thought. "I don’t have any family left in my hometown. With no ties binding me, there’s no need to fly back."

"New Year’s Eve will be right after I finish preparing the dinner. I’ll eat, go straight to bed, and just like that, it’ll be New Year’s Day."

"Oh, right. Your question reminds me, when are you and Sister Chengyu heading home for the New Year?"

Mo Si thought for a moment. "It’s set for the 27th."

"That’s pretty soon, then."

After that brief comment, Jiang Qiuqiu went back to enjoying the food. Not much had been prepared for dinner, so when Mo Si was about to leave, Jiang Qiuqiu handed him a small thermal container.

"This is for Sister Chengyu and the others to have a taste, a little something extra. You should head back now."

On the way back to the castle, Mo Si couldn’t stop thinking about Jiang Qiuqiu preparing the entire New Year’s Eve feast all by herself. After she finished, eighteen dishes would be laid out neatly on the very table they had just used.

The dishes would be perfect, like a painted scroll—a dazzling, fragrant spread.

But at the head of the table, there would only be one person.

Jiang Qiuqiu, holding her chopsticks all alone on New Year’s Eve, facing a table laden with food.

The mere thought of it felt unbearably lonely.

He didn’t want that scene to become a reality.

-

After Mo Si left, Jiang Qiuqiu quickly washed up and got into bed. ’The questions Mo Si asked today felt a little loaded, didn’t they?’ she thought.

’Asking me at a time like this if I’m spending New Year’s alone?’

’Usually, the follow-up to a question like that is supposed to be: Why don’t I come keep you company?’

’But that’s the kind of line only a playboy would use. Someone like him would just say: Oh.’

’Hmph.’

’He didn’t even think to offer to stay and keep me company.’

Of course, Jiang Qiuqiu was just venting. If Mo Si had actually said he wanted to stay and keep her company because he couldn’t bear to see her alone, she would have rejected him anyway.

’Because "not being able to bear it" is such a lame reason.’

’If there are feelings involved, you can’t always use "being friends" as an excuse.’

’Both giving and receiving require an appropriate relationship status.’

Perhaps because this was on her mind before she fell asleep, Jiang Qiuqiu dreamed that Mo Si rushed up to her, waving his arms and legs wildly as he exclaimed, "It’s because I like you that I don’t want you to celebrate New Year’s alone, I don’t want you to cook alone, and I don’t want you to be this unhappy!"

Of course, it was all just a dream. ’He could never say something like that.’

Humming a tune, she started her day. Today was a no-stream day. First, early morning spiritual power training, then breakfast. After eating, she’d train in the Gravity Room, and then at noon, she would start preparing the dishes for her gourmet showcase.

The annual gala and the PK battle were over, and Mo Si and Sister Chengyu had returned. Jiang Qiuqiu settled back into the peaceful, fulfilling life she had long before. Her daily life was a simple, repetitive routine—it might sound a bit boring, but Jiang Qiuqiu found she quite liked the rhythm.

Of course, all that happy contentment came to a screeching halt with the arrival of the 27th.

Mo Si and Mo Chengyu were going home.

’He’s actually going home for real.’

...

’Hmph. Now I’m unhappy.’